BDI Analysis: Full Collection Search

The results of the first four rounds of the BDI-CivicPulse survey of 1,400 local elected officials offer sobering observations on the rate at which local leaders are experiencing insults, harassment, threats, and physical attacks for the preceding 12 months. This research is produced as part of an ongoing joint project launched by BDI and CivicPulse in August 2022 to conduct quarterly national surveys of local officials on their experiences facing threats and harassment. These quarterly updates allow us to identify spikes or shifts in hostility and monitor important trends in threats and harassment as we enter the 2024 election cycle.

BDI produces regular state-focused situation reports (SitReps) on key risk trends and activity to help partners identify early warning signs of political or election violence in North Carolina.

BDI produces regular state-focused situation reports (SitReps) on key risk trends and activity to help partners identify early warning signs of political or election violence in North Carolina.

BDI produces regular state-focused situation reports (SitReps) on key risk trends and activity to help partners identify early warning signs of political or election violence in Georgia.

White supremacist and neo-Nazi organizations have announced and discussed plans to hold a rally in Mansfield, Pennsylvania on August 26. The demonstration will coincide with Mansfield’s 6th Annual Community Kids Day, which will feature local businesses, civic organizations, and the town police department, amongst others. College students will also be returning to Mansfield University on August 23, notably increasing the total population and diversity of the community. The demonstration appears to have been originally planned for June, during Pride month, and was initially framed as a protest against the LGBTQ+ community.

Following a public indictment by a grand jury in Fulton County the week of August 14, Former President Donald J. Trump agreed to turn himself in for arraignment on August 24 at the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street in Atlanta. Just before 10 PM on August 21, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social decrying District Attorney Fani Willis, joking about flying to Russia to escape arrest, and calling Atlanta a “violent crime war zone”, before saying he would surrender for arraignment. The following evening, supporters of the former U.S. president began calling for a demonstration outside of the jail at 10 AM on Thursday, August 24.

Local monitoring is essential for identifying early warning signs. BDI produces regular national situation reports (SitReps) on key risk trends at the national and state level, disseminated to a vetted list of community leaders and organizations.

While overall mobilization in Macomb County has declined since the spike following the murder of George Floyd, 2020 saw notable instances of contention in the county including at least 2 demonstrations with armed or paramilitary actors and several instances of police intervention. At least one other Shelby Township Trustee, John Vermeulen, has a history of problematic behavior, including posting perceived racist Facebook posts and posting in support of far-right figures who have promoted election fraud narratives and called for violence. Additionally, the Macomb County GOP Chair Mark Forton has continued to push and show support for election fraud narratives since the charges were announced. Multiple county and state political and party officials issued inflammatory response statements, largely focused on characterizing the charges as an “abuse of power” aimed at “prosecuting political dissidents. While these statements have been shared across online election-denier networks, we have not seen any explicit calls for mobilization to date.

Far-right and anti-LGBTQ+ actors in Wisconsin, including Blood Tribe Ohio (BTOH) and Warriors for Christ, have issued calls to mobilize against the July 29 Pride in the Park event and drag shows at Riverside Park in Watertown, Wisconsin.

On July 19, homophobic and transphobic organization Protect Texas Kids (PTK) announced on their Telegram that they will target a Planned Parenthood event on July 28, a “puberty and periods party” in Dallas, though they did not provide the location publicly in their announcement. However, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas is holding an event covering a sexual health puberty workshop for 4th and 5th graders and their guardians on Friday, July 28 in Central Dallas. It is highly likely that PTK is targeting the Central Dallas event. The exact location is hidden publicly, and is highly likely to have PTK infiltrators pose as attendees to gain location information.